Race Straight to your Heart
by AcquiredBonds
Summary: After three long years in the Witness Protcetion Program, Allie Reid is heading home. Depressed race car driver Zane Carter, is ready to quit. Driving away from the track, he is planning on never looking back. one accident changes everything. Buckle-up
1. Chapter 1

**Race…..Straight To My Heart**

**Chapter 1**

**1:30 AM. Having left Philadelphia less then two hours ago, Allie was making great time. She just saw a sign for Dover Air Force Base. She was on her way to Virginia, heading home. Well, what she used to call home, before Kenny ruined all that. She would not allow herself to thing about **_**that**_**, or **_**him**_**. She was going to see Mike, her oldest and dearest friend, and his wife Myra. Myra and her were college roommates. They had grown into the best of friends and Allie couldn't be happier that Mike had fallen madly in love with Myra. She was very good for him, he took himself way too seriously. **

**Pleased with the time she was making she sighed then checked her mirrors to make sure she wasn't being followed. Nope. Not another car on the road, hadn't been one for at least the last twenty minutes. She was safe. No one was following her. It had been over three years since the 'incident' with Kenny. And Mike had taught her to be careful, and trained her well in self defense, what she needed to do was work on not panicking, because once she panicked, she froze. And even the best fighter in the world couldn't fight if they stood there frozen by fear. Stupid fear. But the worst part was she'd probably never be able to trust a man again.**

"**Ugh, stop it!" Allie willed her self to listen, it didn't do her any good when she started to dwell on things she couldn't control or change. She couldn't help it. She missed her parents. Her friends. She missed the way it was. **

**Her life was different now. Now she took no chances. Her and Mike spoke on the 'bat phone' every 72 hours with out fail. "You can't fake someone's voice. I need to make sure it's you and that your ok." She heard Mikes voice in her head. The 'bat phone' was the latest and greatest satellite phone, straight from FBI headquarters in Quantico. Mike sent her a new one every few months. One of the perks from him being one of their top guys. She'd just hoped he wasn't tracking her, because she wanted to surprise them by just showing up in the middle of the night. Absently she rubbed the phone that sat on her lap.**

**Mike had relocated her to Philly three years ago after Kenny was securely in jail, for attempted murder- hers. He changed her last name from Wilkinson to Reid. He also got her a new Social Security number and even got her set up in a cute condo right in the center of downtown. After a few months she felt comfortable enough to get a job. She taught self defense classes to women, at the local YMCA. She was getting her life back. And it felt good. She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep relaxing breath, when she opened her eyes and saw the car heading right for her passenger side door, she gripped the steering wheel and cursed.**

**It was late, but Zane Carter was restless. Thursday, it was Thursday. He just gotten into town today, but all he had done was pace. Pace and yell at his manager. "Damn it!" He swore, he wasn't into it. The pain of his mom's death still stung him too much. He didn't feel like being at the track and having everyone look at him with pity. He knew what they thought. He dad died in a wreck on the track, when he was a kid. All he had was him mom. She was always by his side. Even supported him when he wanted to become a driver. "Shit!" He curse again and grabbed his keys. **

**Zane speed out of Dover Speedway, a drive would clear his head. Not expecting anyone to be on the road at this late hour, or too distracted to even notice, it was too late to avoid the impact with the oncoming car. Christ! He never noticed it. He did happen to notice to fear on the face of the girl driving the car his car was currently pushing across the center lane. His brakes finally told hold, stopping his car, but the momentum of the crash sent her car skidding across the highway. He watched in horror as her car flipped over and skidded to a wobble stop.**

"**Shit! Shit! Shit!" Zane yelled as he got out of his car and started running towards the other car. Pulling his phone out as he ran, he called his manager.**

**Randy heard his phone ring, he knew it was Zane, the poor boys brain was fried. Maybe he'd pushed his too soon after his mothers death to start racing again. No. It was his job as his manager, he was doing the right thing, he'd answer the phone and let Zane yell at him some more, then he could focus on racing.**

"**Hello?" Randy said as he braced himself for a fury of words.**

"**Randy?!" Zane's panicked voice echoed through the phone.**

"**Zane? What's wrong?"**

"**I crashed into someone, she's trapped in the car, get Tim, bring help, hell I don't know. Do. Something." Zane was frantic.**

"**Calm down, Zane. Where are you?" Randy asked.**

"**Right outside the track, I was going out for a drive, I didn't see her I swear."**

**Randy understood. "Four minutes." He said into the phone then hung up on Zane and started making phone calls. He needed to get both Zane's car and the other persons car the hell out of there before the press, or the police got involved. He called Zane's spotter, Paul. Paul and his twin brother Pete worked on Zane's racing team, they took turns spotting Zane on the track and Drove his coach to the next race. They were good boys, Randy trusted them. His second phone call was to the teams Doctor, Tim Peterson. He was on his way to pick up Tim as he made the phone call, silently praying whom ever Zane hit was alive and well.**

**Zane held is breath as he reached the car. It rested upside down and all the glass from the windshield had shattered, into a million pieces. As he crouched down, he heard whimpering. He let out the breath he'd been holding. Thank God, he thought, she's alive. **

_**He found me, I'm dead**_**. Was all Allie could think. But her brain was working overtime. **_**No. Couldn't be him, he's in jail**_**. Her whole body was trembling, she could taste the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. She needed to get out of the car, she needed her bat phone. A hand reaching in through the place where the windshield should be jarred her from her thought and she begged. "Get me out of here!"**

"**Okay, it's gonna be okay. Are you hurt?" Zane asked as he pushed her hanging upside down hair out of her face, so he could see her eyes.**

"**Get me out of here. Now!" The pretty green eyed girl yelled at him. He couldn't help but smile. If she was yelling that had to be a good sign that she was okay, despite the dripping of blood that trailed down her face. **

"**Okay hold still, I'm coming in." Zane assured her.**

"**In. No! I want to get OUT!" Allie's body started to tremble harder, great she either had the stupidest EMT in the world rescuing her, or Kenny had ordered him to kill her and make it look like an accident. He was actually sliding his big body into the car with her. Focus, she told her brain, at least it's possible it's not Kenny. Nope it was just a random stupid accident, but she needed to stay conscious, just in case it wasn't. Taking a deep breath she reassured herself. Kenny was in jail, she was safe- well sort of.**

**Laying beneath her now, he looked up into her green eyes, they were full of fear. Damn him, this was as his fault. "I'm sorry" He blurted out.**

"**Just get me out of here." She whispered as tears started to fall down her face.**

"**Your upside down." He looked around for the best way to get her free. "I'm gonna undo the seatbelt, and lower you onto me and then we'll slide out. Okay?"**

**She just nodded. **

**As Zane looked at her, he knew it was worse than it appeared. Her whole body trembled. And he couldn't tell if the blood on her legs was from another cut or from the blood dripping off her head. **

"**Shit. Ready. Hold onto my shoulders." He took her trembling hand and placed them on his shoulders. Then in one swift movement he unclipped the seatbelt and she tumbled onto him.**

"**I got ya." He assured her while he rubbed her arms.**

"**My foots stuck." She whispered into his chest. He felt her hot breath through his shirt. And oddly he was aroused by it. Then he cursed himself silently for even having the beginning of such thoughts. **

"**Okay, I'll fix that." He reached down. The position was awkward to say the least. Her body was awkwardly bent and her face was twisted into the crook of his neck. Her tiny hand knotted in his shirt. He had his other arm protectively around her. **

**Damn. Her foot was diffidently stuck. He'd gotten her shoe off, but the gas pedal was bent and her foot was trapped between it and the brake.**

"**Need any help?" Pete asked with a smirk as he leaned into the car.**

"**Finally." Zane mumbled. "Her foots stuck, I can get it with just one hand."**

"**Just pull her out dude, we spent enough time out here." Pete said with urgency in his voice.**

**Pete was worried about the cops showing up and Zane knew that, he was thinking about what was best for Zane, and the team. And being involved in an accident, in the press with police reports- was not good. But Zane's only concern at the moment was this girl, the one he hurt, who was still clinging to him like her life depended on him. Zane removed the pads from the gas pedal and the brake and wedged the brake to the side as much as her could. Then he pulled on her leg.**

**Zane's heart almost leap through his chest when she let out a blood curdling scream, then went utterly still. He trembling body becoming limp on top of him. He thought he'd killed her.**


	2. Chapter 2

Pete pulled her limp body away from Zane and lifted her up into his arms and started walking away before Zane was out of the car. "Wait! God damn it! She's mine." It was out of his mouth before he knew he'd spoken the words. Pete placed her in the bed of Randy's pick up truck where Tim was waiting. When Zane looked up, all three of them were looking at him like he'd grown another head. "My responsibility." He clarified. Climbing into the back of the truck, Zane held onto her as they drove away. Tim was checking her eyes with a pen light and yelling at Zane for moving her. He stared back at the highway in amazement. His car was already gone. Pete was sweeping up glass. And they had a flatbed waiting to be loaded with her car, His crew was efficient, no one would know anything happened. He felt like shit.

Once back inside the heavily guarded infield of the race tracks, where all the drivers parked their coaches, Zane started to relax. The girl was finally moving, but Tim had done nothing but curse at him. Shaking his head, forcing himself to focus Zane started to hear what Tim was saying.

"Where the hell is her phone? She's asked for it two hundred time already. It's the only damn thing she's saying. She's probably got a broken foot and her knee is pretty banged up. I'll need to drain it if the swelling doesn't go down by morning." Tim turned and glared at Zane. He reached out and grabbed him by the arm. Zane didn't pay any attention to Tim, he watched as Pete lifted her up and carried her into his coach.

"Snap out of it!" Randy said to Zane as he smacked him on the back of the head. "Did you hear what Tim said?"

"No. Sorry. What?" Zane said and turned his attention back to Tim.

"She is covered in scars. Bad scars Zane. And not from the accident. I think we should find out where she belongs and drop her off at a hospital."

"No!" Zane started to protest but Paul interrupted him.

"I think the car is a rental. No name, no nothing. No photo ID in her purse either. All her pocketbook had in it was cash and directions to Virginia. Weird, nothing at all with a name of any kind on it." Paul scratched his head. "Damnedest thing- it's weird. Who carries nothing but cash nowadays?"

"I don't like it." Tim said, "I got a bad feeling about this." Then he turned to Paul. "Did you find her phone? It's they only thing she asks for when she floats in and out of conciseness."

"No but I look for it." And with that Paul left.

Pete came out of the coach in a hurry. "I think she waking up, you better get in there."

"Thanks Pete." Randy said and he walked inside with Tim and Zane on his heals.

She was stirring restlessly and Tim checked her over once again.

He rattled off thing out loud to Zane and Randy like a check list.

"Seatbelt contusion, going to be a beauty, I'll x ray her for broken ribs in the morning, she seems to be breathing okay. Nasty head cut, but I don't think it will need stitches. Unidentified scars on her sternum. Appears to be a surgical scar on her left from maybe having her spleen removed and on her right a large scar, possibly a kidney transplant. Her knee and foot injuries seem to be from the accident. Foots probably broken, I'll x ray that tomorrow too." Tim sighed as he felt under her body, then looked at Zane.

"Help me roll her, carefully." Zane did and watched as Tim wiped away some blood and touched some more small whites scars on her back. He shook his head no.

"What?" Zane asked.

"Help me roll her back, she'll be more comfortable that way."

Zane helped, and pressed Tim for answers. "What is it Tim?"

Tim shrugged his shoulders. "They look like knife wounds. But I don't know, I'll ask her when she wakes up." Tim stood and turned to Zane. "You sure you want this responsibility?"

"Yeah." Zane sighed. _Knife wounds? What the hell?_

"Clean her up and then just make sure she's comfortable. I give her something for pain, so she'll probably sleep for a while. Call me when she wakes up."

Zane stripped her the rest of the way the gently washed away the blood and dirt that was starting to stick to her. He dressed her in one of his t shirts and slid her over to the clean side of the bed. While he was washing he found more of those little white scars on her right side. _Knife wounds? _The words haunted Zane. How could anyone hurt something so fragile. Damn- he just did. He was the reason for her newest injuries.

Exhausted, Zane laid down on the edge of the bed next to her and watched her sleep. She looked like an angel sleeping peacefully. She was pretty in a natural sort of way. She wore no make up, and had beautiful full lips. Zane ran the back of his finger down her cheek. He felt an instant attraction to her. He wondered if it was just because he was now responsible for her. Just then she rolled her body along the length of his, her legs tangled easily with his, her head coming to rest on top of his beating heart, as if she'd slept with him that way hundreds of times. The softness of her curves felt good against his body. He sighed. Yeah, he was attracted to her all right.

Something startled Allie awake. Trying to control her breathing, so no one would realize she was awake, she slowly surveyed her situation. _Damn._ She was wrapped around a body. She could hear a heart beating under her head, she felt a strong muscular arm around her back, the hand resting on her side. Her legs were tangled in-between his legs. Her head hurt. Her chest hurt. Her right leg throbbed, and her foot stung. A pain she recognized, it was probably broken.

Inhaling deeply, she tried to slow her now rapidly beating heart.

_Think!_ She urged her brain. Slowly she tried to move her legs from the entanglement.

No suck luck.

_Okay. Focus. Survey. _This body felt bigger than Kenny's. Maybe just as long, but at the very least these thighs felt more muscular.

Panic struck Allie again as she thought, it could be Kenny, he could have spent the last three years in jail working out. Tears started to fall from Allie's eyes as she thought about Mike and Myra. Had Kenny already gotten to them. Opening her eyes didn't help, her vision was clouded by the tears. Figuring she had nothing to lose she jerked out of his hold and started to roll away.

She didn't even roll over before a larhe hand reached over and grabbed for her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

**Zane felt the loss of warmth the second the woman laying next to him rolled away. It took his mind a second or two to remember why there was a women next to him in the first place. He never brought women to his coach. Remembering the accident brought him right back to reality. Not wanting her to hurt herself more by rolling of the bed, Zane reached out to grab her.**

"**Whoa, slow down there, I don't want you to get hurt." Zane said as he wrapped his hand around Allie's upper arm.**

**The first thing Allie noticed, as the large male hand wrapped its self around her arm was the way it held her. It was a hold of comfort not restraint. Flat on her back looking up at him, she twisted her arm to try to free it from his hold. He simply tightened his grasp around her curiously firm bicep. The thought made him shake his head. He shouldn't be wondering about her, or why her bicep was so defined, he was here to help her. **

"**Let me explain what's going on." He said as she stared at him looking lost and vulnerable, with her wide green eyes and trembling bottom lip.**

**His voice was filled with concern. Allie started to relax, maybe it was just an accident. Looking around didn't make her feel better. This was not a hospital. The shirt she had on was not her own, and it felt like the only thing she had on. And who ever **_**he**_** was only had on a pair of jeans. That were unbuttoned. It didn't matter, accident or Kenny she needed to get the hell out of here.**

"**Where's my phone?" Her shaky voice asked.**

"**Ah, good you have a voice. Do you remember what happened?"**

**Zane asked relived she could talk, so far he'd only heard her whimper in her sleep. He was not happy knowing he caused the pain that made her whimper.**

"**I really need my phone." she insisted.**

**He smiled. **

"**We were in a car accident. It was my fault. I'll accept full responsibility. I'll replace your car and see to all your medical bills." He watched her face for any reaction, when he got no reaction at all he was surprised. Randy warned him about admitting fault, but as he looked into her eyes he couldn't lie to her.**

**He was about to continue when she opened her mouth to talk.**

"**I don't car about the car or the accident, I just really **_**really**_**, need my phone." She didn't care about the car, it was a rental, one she fully insured. She just wanted her phone so she could call Mike. He'd be able to track her and rescue her once again. The thought made her wince.**

**Zane was shocked by her statement and concerned when she made a face.**

"**Your hurt." He said softly as he lifted his hand to push her hair off her face. He'd cleaned the worst of the blood off her, but she still looked like she'd been involved in an accident, a bad one.**

"**I'll live." She muttered, which made him laugh. There was something about her that he found irresistible.**

**His laughter shocked her, so did his gentle touch. Maybe it was just an accident. She took in a deep breath and asked a question.**

"**We're not in a hospital?" Then she glared at him, trying to present a tough front. "And your not a Doctor."**

**He smiled and shook his head no, his tousled dark hair swung into his eyes. He released his hold on her arm to push his hair back, then he sat up. She sat up too, but used the opportunity to move back, farther away from him. He didn't try to stop her, and he looked deep in thought. She wondered what Kenny would have instructed him to do? Could she reason with him.**

"**My name is, Zane Carter." He said in a very low tone. "Do you recognize the name?"**

**She shook her head no. "Should I?"**

"**No. But it will explain why I didn't call the police to report the accident."**

"**Shit." She whispered and became visibly paler. "He'll kill me when he gets here."**

"**Angel, your not making any sense. Damn. Maybe I should call Tim, you must have hit your head harder than we thought."**

**Allie brought her knees up to her chest and cupped her face in her hand. But time. She had to buy herself some time. "Explain why you didn't call the police, and why this isn't a hospital."**

"**My names Zane Carter, I'm a race car driver." He watched her, she didn't move or acknowledge that he was talking at all, but she'd asked for an explanation, so he'd give her one. He would have to deal with the consensuses. "I've been in the press a lot lately because my mother died, and it's affected my performance as a driver, I'm having trouble concentrating." He admitted to her, he guessed because she was a stranger and not judging him. She looked up at him then, her eyes red and puffy from crying. "I'm sorry I didn't call the police, but the press would have turned it into a drunken out of control rage, and I just can't deal with any more of it."**

"**Really?" She sniffed.**

"**Really?" He asked confused. He watched her hesitate about asking him something, but then she did.**

"**No one hired you to hold me prisoner?"**

_**Knife wounds**_**. Ran through his head. Outraged that anyone would hurt her, let alone hire someone to hold her prisoner, he demanded, "Is someone trying to hurt you?"**

"**I guess not." She sighed in relief. "I don't care about the car, the accident, being hurt, any of it. I'll just call Mike to come get me and then we can forget about all this."**

"**Like hell, who's Mike?" **_**That's it, knife wounds, being held prisoner, she not going anywhere. **_**He decided as he waited for her to answer. He watched her stubbornly sit there and press her lips together. **_**Great, now he scared her.**_

"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Zane watched as the woman on his bed as she curled herself into a tight little ball. He hadn't meant to loose his temper and yell, but he was overwhelmed with emotions. Possessive emotions he should not be feeling, about her. He ran his hand through his already disheveled hair and got up from the bed. He had messed this up so bad already, first the accident, then bringing her here. _Damn. _He still didn't even know her name.

Allie watched as Zane Carter jumped off the bed and began pacing the small bedroom. He mumbled to himself and threw his hands in the air. But the expression on his face was not one of anger. He looked confused, maybe frustrated, but not angry. She was just about to say his name, when instead of continuing pacing in the small bedroom, he left the room completely and disappeared down a small hallway. Instead of calling after him, Allie sighed and decided to lay down in the bed. Her foot was throbbing and her chest hurt. She'd deal with Zane when he returned, she no longer felt he had anything to do with Kenny, so who ever Zane Carter was and where she was could be dealt with, later.

Zane rummaged through the refrigerator and settled on a beer. After taking a few sips, he pressed the cold bottle to his forehead. He rolled the bottle over his forehead, trying to alleviate his growing headache. He sighed and blew out a deep breath. Someone had laid their hands on her, and he hated the thought of that. He hated that she seemed genuinely afraid. And in spite of himself every protective instinct he had kicked into gear. That is what made him react so badly when she mentioned that Mike character. Zane took in another deep breath, ran the bottle over his temple one last time, then headed back to the bedroom. He could fix this. All of it.

Allie was rolled on her side facing away from Zane when he returned to the bedroom. She faked sleep. She heard him sign and cruse softly, then she felt the bed dip as he sat down, and leaned over to look at her. She laid there frozen, faking sleep and waiting, waiting to see what he would do. She waited so long she really fell asleep.

Zane could feel the tension radiating off Allie as he sat on the bed. That's when he figured out she wasn't asleep. But what was he supposed to do? Integrate her more? No. It could all wait, and she could use the sleep. So could he for that matter, tomorrow was Friday and he had to meet with his crew and make any last minute adjustments to his car.

Throughout the rest of the night, Zane lay awake. He held Allie, he couldn't seem to quiet his awareness of her long enough to drift off to sleep. He didn't want to miss a single second of being with her. Asleep her expression was beautiful, peaceful, relaxed. When her skin grew warmer and her breathing deeper, he stirred. When she mumbled, he turned to look at her, he found both her hand at her throat and her head twisting from side to side. _What the hell? _Frowning Zane sat up.

"Angel?"

When she didn't answer he touched her check, and found it wet from tears. Zane muttered a curse. In the dim light of the room he could barely make out her features, but he could see the tears that poured silently down her face as she shook her head. She was crying souldlessly, then he heard her whimper. His heart squeezed in his chest. The whimpering continued, growing increasingly louder.

He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook. "Angel!" He yelled, his voice commanding attention. Suddenly her body went rigid and she screamed, a harsh terrifying sound that echoed around the silent bedroom. Her arms flailed wildly, she hit him in the chin, she was fighting against him, fighting against herself. Zane finally managed to pin her arms above her head and her rolled her beneath him. She was shaking, and not just a few little tremors, but full body shudders.

They laid together a long time, his head resting on top of hers, his right leg anchoring her in place. One of his hand held both her wrist still above her head while he traced the delicate features of her face with the other. She stirred, then her face looked as if she was recalling something pretty damned painful. Then she screamed again.

"Kenny, NO!!"

Her eyes flew open and she went stiff in his arms, she was breathing like she'd run a marathon. Her eyes were glazed over, her skin was clammy and pale.

"Just a dream." She heard. "It's okay. I've got you, you're safe with me." She looked at him then, her eyes so filled with fear and terror, that he pulled her tightly against him.

He wasn't wearing a shirt, his skin was warm. He rocked her, stroking her hair and making little "sshhh" noises over and over.

Allie held herself stiffly against him while his hands gently move to rub her back. She started to move, to push him away, but Zane held her in place. And without knowing why, she let him. Against her will, Allie relaxed into him. He felt safe, and unexplainably he was making her feel safe.


End file.
